Need help removing drums from olds/pontiac rear

Feel like a moron but I can't get these drums off of this 1961 pontiac rear end I bought. I'd like to open it up and check the condition of the gears and posi unit. I've heated, beat them, penetrating oil, prying and some other things and they won't budge. Looking closer though, and as much as I hate to say it, they look like they are welded to the axle. What are your opinions and if it is welded did they do that from the factory? Or am I just stupid? Here's some pics.

 

looks welded to me. did a google search on 61 Pontiac brake drums and they all had holes in the middle like everybody else

 

Right before he struck his torch,Bob told himself this is really gonna fuck with somebody 40yrs. from now..

 

Yep! Looks like redneck engineering to me.

 

Damn, that is not what I wanted to hear. So should I just pull out the angle grinder and start cutting away or would I be able to at least save the axles? Was really hoping I would be able to use them.

 

If it is indeed welded,just take a torch and cut them off and be careful not to cut axle flange.Very easily done...then ya gotta buy different drums....but wth....lookit the holes around studs they are just as bad.This is not welded by anything but mother nature....

 

Nah, they're not welded...just corroded together. Old truck mechanic trick: Heat the lip of the drum where it goes over the center of the axle...then take a bfh and whack the drum face between the studs. [might want to use a big punch is you don't trust yourself hitting the studs] Do it enough and the drum will eventually give up. Don't be shy with the hammer and don't hammer on the sides of the drum...just on the face where the wheel mounts and between the studs...might have to go all the way around the drum with the hammering but it'l loosen up

 

Geez guys, my eyes ain't that good, but that is not welded.

The drum "center hole" is slightly chamfer-bent from the factory. It is a machined knife edge when new. That is rusted a lot, but it will come off.


Heat between the axle end and the lug circle. Get it with a propane torch if that's all you have.

Now take a hammer and while rotating the drum, hit the outside edge right about where the shoe rides, but at a 45 degree angle. That will loosen that chamfer 180 degrees away from where you just hit.

Keep rotating and hitting. Not hard enough to bend stuff, just to finally get that knife edge to show some movement.

On stubborn ones, sometimes I use the ball end of a ball peen hammer, and hit straight in, between the chamfer and the lug circle. That helps loosen the gap that is rusted closed.

 

I agree, not welded, just rusted. Heat, penetrating oil, a BFH and patience will get it off. Been there, buddy!

 

I'd invest a couple of bucks in a drum puller.As stated before;saturate with penetrating oil;a little heat around the flange area while cranking on the drum puller and they should breeak free.

 

Heat and bfh and repeat if necessary. It's been a long time since I saw one that bad.

 

Get the torch out!!! heat it up and beat it up and pull em off!!

 

Try a hole saw with no centre bit in it to chew some of the crud off of it.

 

have your way with them---it's difficult not impossible...

 

After you have checked the shoes are backed off sufficiently just heat the drum near the axel flange and if you are lucky you will hear it "pop" if not get in there real quick with a puller or hammer.

 

Read #8 again, Rocky's right.

If you have welding facilities, weld a 3/8" scrap rod or 1/2" black pipe to a 3" piece of 3/4" cold rolled rod. (like a hammer)
Hold the 'handle', and place the cold rolled between the studs, on the flange part.
Hit it pretty good, 2-4 lb. hammer. The rebound of the drum will pop it free.

This is the TEXTBOOK METHOD. I learned this in school, 1957. (!) Am I that old?????

 

Thanks for all the tips, I'll be trying some more tomorrow. I just spent about another hour heating and beating on it, also I wire wheeled the hell out of it and I have made no progress. I was going to try a puller but the backside of the drum is covered up by the backing plate so there is no way to get a puller on there. Also not sure if it was a good idea or not but I punched all of the wheel studs out.

 

Yup, that's how the drums look on a 1961 Pontiac. They're not welded, just rusted. Get a bigger hammer and a bigger torch.

 

Puller won't work because when new, that center hole was zerp clearance with the chamfer knife edge...it will just dig in harder, and bend the drum pressed center part.

If you have a beefy flat nose punch, get in as close as you can to that chamfer, but not on it. Beat it all the way around to get some rust dust showing in the joint that is rusted. Also run a file around the axle hub, as best you can

 

You need real oxy acetelyn heat. Red hot

 

Back the brakes off and heat the portion of the drum between the axle flange and the wheel studs. You will probably here some noise as it expands. Whack it with a hammer where you have heated. It may take several heat and cool cycles before it loosens. You need real heat like oxy/act or oxy/fuel gas not a butane torch

 

Finally got one off!!!! I don't have access to a acetylene torch, but I heated between where each wheel stud was sort of close to the center until it started and stopped popping. Then I wailed on it with the BFH and some square tube to protect the drum/axle. Also before that stuff I took a file and filed the outside part of the axle that sticks out the center of the drum. Got it loos and had to pry it off the shoes as I was unable to loosen the adjuster. Feels like a big accomplishment!!! lol. Too bad I'm going to have to get new drums or go disc as someone rode these brakes hard. Thanks everyone for the tips and help, I really appreciate it! Here's some pics.

 

I once had some seriously stuck drums on an Olds/Pontiac rear. I think they were both seriously rusted, AND the shoe rivets grooved deep in the drums. IIRC.

Luckily, I had a very very large OTC or Proto puller with 2 or 3 super-heavy-duty jaws that easily reached around the drums (a very hard puller to find sans paying a ton for a new one). It DID work, but it wasn't easy. Yes, the drums got totally destroyed.

I would caution that virtually any method you use to get these drums off could end in injury. In my case, I wrapped a towel completely around the drum and puller leaving only the puller screw exposed.

Whatever you do, BE CAUTIOUS... that is, take precautions.

 

With age comes wisdom! I use "never seize" on everything now (I'm 64) especially around the studs and big hole of the axle flange.

Pat

 

take a torch and heat the drum next to the round drum centering hub. go around quickly and evenly as the drum heats up it will expand quicker than the heavy hub and release. If you force the drum cold it will bend and ruin it. I had many of them like this in the brake business.

 

good to see you got it off, if there realy stuck i file and sand the axle as you have done, if the shoes are really stuck and the adjuster will not move i have had to make the adjustment hole larger and cut the adjuster with a torch, then heat the drum, i have cut drums off as well.

 

Glad to see you won half the battle so far. The other one could be as stubborn or worse. I had the same fight on my special construction '36 with a Ford 8". Laid on my back and did the usual double kick to the drums with my heels to no avail. Pounded a long time with a BFH endlessly. Used penetrating oil. And, when I least expected it, the drum popped loose. The brake shoes were totally shot. Might have ripped some of the brake lining off getting the drum off. The linings were completely decomposed from sitting in the State of Washington winter thaw. What a battle. May the force be with you.

 

Those that are suggesting to heat near the axle center , are not giving you the correct area to heat as it will only allow both the axle and drum to expand together . A better solution (comming from literally hundreds of these) is to heat a cherry red quarter size spot outside of the studs between studs in a V pattern . That is heat one at 12 - 5 -6 Oclock , then take hour hammer on the outside of the drum and strike several time using blows directed to hit the drum out .The expantion noises will tell you that it is ready to come off .If it starts comming off and then resists , reheat and keep trying . Been doing this for many years profetionaly and havnt failed yet .

 

Reading is fundamental

He said he does not have a ox/ac torch. Next time we won't bother to answer a question, ok?